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the most learned of the Romans； is forgotten； when Virgil is
familiar to every school…boy。 Cicero himself would not have been
immortal； if his essays and orations had not conformed to the
principles of art。 Even an historian who would live must be an
artist； like Voltaire or Macaulay。 A cumbrous； or heavy； or
pedantic historian will never be read； even if his learning be
praised by all the critics of Germany。
Poets are the great artists of language。 They even create
languages； like Homer and Shakspeare。 They are the ornaments of
literature。 But they are more than ornaments。 They are the sages
whose sayings are treasured up and valued and quoted from age to
age； because of the inspiration which is given to them；an insight
into the mysteries of the soul and the secrets of life。 A good
song is never lost； a good poem is never buried； like a system of
philosophy； but has an inherent vitality； like the melodies of the
son of Jesse。 Real poetry is something； too； beyond elaborate
versification； which is one of the literary fashions； and passes
away like other fashions unless； redeemed by something that arouses
the soul； and elevates it； and appeals to the consciousness of
universal humanity。 It is the poets who make revelations； like
prophets and sages of old； it is they who invest history with
interest； like Shakspeare and Racine； and preserve what is most
vital and valuable in it。 They even adorn philosophy； like
Lucretius； when he speculated on the systems of the Ionian
philosophers。 They certainly impress powerfully on the mind the
truths of theology； as Watts and Cowper and Wesley did in their
noble lyrics。 So that the most rapt and imaginative of men； if
artists； utilize the whole realm of knowledge； and diffuse it； and
perpetuate it in artistic forms。 But real poets are rare； even if
there are many who glory in the jingle of language and the
structure of rhyme。 Poetry； to live； must have a soul； and it must
combine rare things；art； music； genius； original thought； wisdom
made still richer by learning； and； above all； a power of appealing
to inner sentiments； which all feel； yet are reluctant to express。
So choice are the gifts； so grand are the qualities； so varied the
attainments of truly great poets； that very few are born in a whole
generation and in nations that number twenty or forty millions of
people。 They are the rarest of gifted men。 Every nation can boast
of its illustrious lawyers； statesmen； physicians； and orators； but
they can point only to a few of their poets with pride。 We can
count on the fingers of one of our hands all those worthy of poetic
fame who now live in this great country of intellectual and
civilized men； one for every ten millions。 How great the pre…
eminence even of ordinary poets！ How very great the pre…eminence
of those few whom all ages and nations admire！
The critics assign to Dante a pre…eminence over most of those we
call immortal。 Only two or three other poets in the whole realm of
literature； ancient or modern； dispute his throne。 We compare him
with Homer and Shakspeare； and perhaps Goethe； alone。 Civilization
glories in Virgil； Milton； Tasso； Racine； Pope； and Byron；all
immortal artists； but it points to only four men concerning whose
transcendent creative power there is unanimity of judgment；
prodigies of genius； to whose influence and fame we can assign no
limits； stars of such surpassing brilliancy that we can only gaze
and wonder；growing brighter and brighter； too； with the progress
of ages； so remarkable that no barbarism will ever obscure their
brightness； so original that all imitation of them becomes
impossible and absurd。 So great is original genius； directed by
art and consecrated to lofty sentiments。
I have assumed the difficult task of presenting one of these great
lights。 But I do not presume to analyze his great poem； or to
point out critically its excellencies。 This would be beyond my
powers； even if I were an Italian。 It takes a poet to reveal a
poet。 Nor is criticism interesting to ordinary minds； even in the
hands of masters。 I should make critics laugh if I were to attempt
to dissect the Divine Comedy。 Although； in an English dress； it is
known to most people who pretend to be cultivated； yet it is not
more read than the 〃Paradise Lost〃 or the 〃Faerie Queene；〃 being
too deep and learned for some； and understood by nobody without a
tolerable acquaintance with the Middle Ages； which it interprets；
the superstitions； the loves； the hatreds； the ideas of ages which
can never more return。 All I can doall that is safe for me to
attemptis to show the circumstances and conditions in which it
was written； the sentiments which prompted it； its historical
results； its general scope and end； and whatever makes its author
stand out to us as a living man； bearing the sorrows and revelling
in the joys of that high life which gave to him extraordinary moral
wisdom； and made him a prophet and teacher to all generations。 He
was a man of sorrows； of resentments； fierce and implacable； but
whose 〃love was as transcendent as his scorn；〃a man of vast
experiences and intense convictions and superhuman earnestness；
despising the world which he sought to elevate； living isolated in
the midst of society； a wanderer and a sage； meditating constantly
on the grandest themes； lost in ecstatic reveries； familiar with
abstruse theories； versed in all the wisdom of his day and in the
history of the past； a believer in God and immortality； in rewards
and punishments； and perpetually soaring to comprehend the
mysteries of existence； and those ennobling truths which constitute
the joy and the hope of renovated and emancipated and glorified
spirits in the realms of eternal bliss。 All this is history； and
it is history alone which I seek to teach；the outward life of a
great man； with glimpses； if I can； of those visions of beauty and
truth in which his soul lived； and which visions and experiences
constitute his peculiar greatness。 Dante was not so close an
observer of human nature as Shakspeare； nor so great a painter of
human actions as Homer； nor so learned a scholar as Milton； but his
soul was more serious than either；he was deeper； more intense
than they； while in pathos； in earnestness； and in fiery emphasis
he has been surpassed only by Hebrew poets and prophets。
It would seem from his numerous biographies that he was remarkable
from a boy； that he was a youthful prodigy； that he was precocious；
like Cicero and Pascal； that he early made great attainments；
giving utterance to living thoughts and feelings； like Bacon； among
boyish companions； lisping in numbers； like Pope； before he could
write prose； different from all other boys； since no time can be
fixed when he did not think and feel like a person of maturer
years。 Born in Florence； of the noble family of the Alighieri； in
the year 1265； his early education devolved upon his mothe